Prodigal
by Sparkableeder
Summary: Sasuke and Naruto fight to the death and Sakura has to choose who to save from dying. [Rated T for graphic violence]


**DON'TOWNDON'TSUE!!**

**Dedicated to my editor who means the world tome. You're my best friend, Laura.**

**Dedicated to Team Seven. Come home Sasuke. Please.**

**Only rated T for graphic violence**

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The swish of a sword, the whirl of shirukins; this is the battle of two boys lost. Blood splatters onto the dirt, soaking into the grains. They pull apart and stand slumped toward the other. Their powers are strong but they've been fighting for over 7 hours now. Blue eyes well-up with tears from anger and the unsure feeling of regret. Eyes bright red with black swirls, surely this is the lost hope, and it holds more power. Feet propel them forward as they fight on.

A girl watches with a bleeding chest, a hole remained in a lung. With every breath, blood pumped out with air bubbles foaming. Two men fight and her heart hurts, not only from blood loss but from the choice of who to love. One was her dream while the other was by her side always. Love was a hopeless thing in this world. Her body couldn't give her legs the strength to stand or run. She didn't want to waste her chakra on her. Only on the man she loved but there was two there now. Pink hair with dried blood matted against her brow with sweat as her arms pulled herself forward. Maybe if she tried she could save one...she could love again.

The member of the lost Uchiha clan swirled around and speared the blonde in the stomach. The shinobi stood with the blade half in. With a grunt, a boy of the forgotten Uzumaki clan thrust himself forward up the sword, allowing the weapon to piece his back. With a kunai in hand, he slammed the blade into the raven haired traitor's chest.

The two froze in a death stance fearing their bodies become weaker. Blood soaked their clothing giving them a crimson gown, a symbol of death, as they trembled and slumped slightly inward. The blonde drew back his blade and stabbed once more, making the taller man scream. When the blonde tried one more time the Uchiha stopped him, his hand forming a fist around the speared man's wrist.

"No more" mouthed the red eyed shinobi before he twisted his blade roughly, causing the smaller to wail. This made him only pull the blade upward slightly causing more flesh to rip. Blood coated him as he felt his body die. The brave blonde put his hand tight on the blade stopping the Uchiha from ripping through him anymore. Once again, they held each other gaze with hate and anger.

"No..." gasped the kunoichi as she watched to two men. She loved them. But she had to choose one to save. Just one because her chakra couldn't save both. A flash of their happier years came and she sobbed. Lunches as a team, smiles, hopes, dream; each of these were lost.Her green eyes sqeezed tright forcing tears free. Not like this. She didn't want it to end like this.

The young men push apart, ripping blades from each other. They stood a few feet apart now. The blonde wobbled as the raven haired boy stabbed his sword into the ground to keep him steady. A choking sound was heard as the blonde spat out blood and bile. The smell was sour and swirled in the Uzumaki's nostrils. He reached for another shurikin as the other raised his sword up. They charged and the weak girl screamed out, no words just a scream. They passed each other and stood still in shock. The traitor had a shurikin nested in the left of his neck. The blonde had a slash across his neck and up his right cheek.

The pebbles beneath them shifted and crunched as both fell to their knees. Never had men had so much blood. Another coke came, this one from the Uchiha. His throat leaked blood that had bubbles with every gasp. This was the end. No more fighting like this because their bodies had loss too much.

The blonde held his throat as he glanced over his shoulder to the forgotten friend. Too many times he had tried to bring the other home only to be denied. That was when the said shinobi looked over to the blonde's blue eyes. Tears filled the friend as he wished he could've just brought the Uchiha home and back to belonging. Friendship was lost now, only death awaited. Then both men looked to the weeping girl who was crawling over to them. One mouthed 'I'm sorry' while the other only looked away, maybe with shame.

The sky was dark with bitter clouds that let rain clean the soil of the shame. Friendship is lost easily in this world. A rythme of water falling give sound to silence. The pebbles and dirt gave another crunch sound with a wet splash as the blonde collapsed. The Kyuubi couldn't save him now. The Uchiha had won, for good. But the said shinobi looked over to the fallen and choked on blood mixed with saliva. He used his knees to take him to a rock near them and rested his head against it, watching the pink haired girl. His eyes, for the first time in years, held fear of death. He couldn't finish his purpose. This may be the end.

A yelp came from her throat as Sakura continued forward until she was between the two. In that moment she made a prayer to anything higher then her, "Please don't make me choose."

Rain covered them, washing blood into the dirt of the battlefield. It washed away all hope of friendship. In all their minds were the sweet memories of what was and ideas of what could have been. Tears mixed with the rain and blood on the girl's face as she glanced back and forth. The Uchiha watched off in the distance toward his old home. No more. Please no more of this.

A clap of thunder and lighting, the Gods proclaimed their power. They would always remain but these pathetic beings would end so quickly in this world. And those children knew of their foolishness to believe they could live like Gods. For mortals will always die painfully.

She had to choose, now. There was no time to waste. The Sunoichi moved to the blonde to check his vitals. She rolled him over, his chest lifted slowly. She lifted his head into her lap. He only gasped and opened one hazy blue eye, mouthing her name. Sakura didn't want to choose. The water washed her matted hair of dirt and blood. "What do I do?"

Her body was healing itself slightly. But she needed her chakra to heal one of them. She looked into his clouding eye. She needed answers or someone else to choose for her. Naruto lifted his hand to her face and wiped away the liquid; all the blood, water and tears. A weak smile formed to tell her that he'd live and not to worry about him. That maybe this was a chance to bring Sasuke home. A chance to start again.

"I don't want to loose you, either of you." The girl whispered through multiple types of pain. Sakura couldn't swallow down her pain any. But the blonde only smiled with a nod and gestured to their lost friend. She took this with weeping and a stubborn nod. She hurried as fast as her body could take her to the dying raven boy. She began to heal him, green chakra burning into the wounds.

His dark eyes scanned to her, questioning her actions. She ignored him and continued as her chest heaved from her sobbing. Sasuke reached over to the weapon in his neck and pulled slightly. But the medical-nin's hand went to it and began to heal as she slipped it out. He groaned from pain and leaned onto her shoulder for strength.

"Why?" He took in a sharp breath. She shook her head slightly was she healed him more. No chance to look back now. Her fears kept from looking behind her to the blonde. If they coudl only be young again and start once more in a worl not like this. Or save what they have left.

"Naruto said to save you first." was all that came out through the choking sobs. The boy looked over to said shinobi and felt his heart ache. After their hate filled battle, the blonde still cared for him. For the first time in years, so many years, he felt himself ready to cry. All Naruto wanted was for Sasuke to come home, to have his friend again. He had given his forgiveness in that moment. By sparing the other to live one more day, he had forgiven everything without a thought. Naruto was more then human then. He was an equal to the gods in his kindness.

"No...no." Simple words burning through as the boy couldn't understand how someone could forgive so much. Sasuke wondered if he could even cry anymore from the years of fighting emotion. Could he even smile if he tried? Or express what he felt just then? Nothing to express this feeling of confusion and anger with sadness mixed in. He knew the name of this feeling; Guilt. All they gave him was kindness and he pushed them farther and farther away. "No more..."

Rain cleaned Naruto of the battle and the blood. He was refreshed and looking to the sky. His soft eyes were half-lidded as his lungs breathed in. A smile held the boy's face for no reason as he looked over the fight he just had. Some would say Naruto was too forgiving and it would be the end of him. They were right, so very right. Looking up into rain which was loosing strength as the Gods must've marveled at a human's feat.

Like Sakura had, He made a prayer, one that didn't beg for life or for anything. All he whispered was a simple request to someone he would never meet. "Daddy, here I am. We'll you take me home, tonight. I've saved my last friend and now all I want is to be safe in your arms. Daddy, here I am."

The morning sun began to rise and scare the storm away. On the horizon ran shinobi of Leaf to save the forgotten friends. Just wisp of colors and quick feet guiding them. Sasuke saw them coming and used his strength to hug Sakura. This startled her and she froze, a gasp made. He let something go then and felt light again. The young man nuzzled into her neck, feeling like a child again that needed the world to love him when he had no friends. She hugged him back and looked to the sky slightly.

"Curse the morning..." Sasuke mumbled as he found strength again. His onyx eyes scanned up to the blonde laying toward the welcoming sky. Naruto's chest never raised as Sasuke stared. "Naruto..."

Sakura pulled back and looked into Sasuke's stare before her green orbs followed it to the body. Her eyes widened and she ran, pain burning. The kunoichi slide onto her knees scraping them against the rocks and burying them in the mud. She forced as much chakra as her body could give into the boy. Sasuke stumbled over and kneeled to looking into dead eyes. But what hurt him most was seeing that horrible, loving smile resting there.

"Naruto..." he whispered for only them to hear. Finally, Team Seven was together again and the boy just let go of everything slipping into a higher being's hand. God, could you be any more cruel? Sasuke swallowed and placed his hand over Sakura's, who was choking on her tears. He forced anything left into the hand. Blue chakra mixed with green.

Green eyes met his dark ones, both carried tears. Sasuke looked away to the blonde and he lifted the boys head with one hand. He never let his eyes leave those clouded ones as the Uchihamade one prayer. "Here I am again. I've held out as long as I can and I'm letting go...everything is meaningless. He forgave me faster then I could forgive myself. All I ask is to be able to thank him. And for him to know I'm going home."

The last part made Sakura cough with a sob as she forced in more chakra. She took one hand and placed it over Sasuke's, begging for the strength to save Naruto. Her eyes squinted shut, tighter then ever as pain and sorrow filled her chest. Sasuke leaned closer to the clam face and whispered.

"Naruto, wake up. We're going home now, so wake up." He continued to give chakra to Sakura to save the blonde. "We're going home, together. We're going home..."

No response as eyes kept dead to the heavens as the rising sun warmed their bodies. Kakashi stood frozen with tears. The shinobi back up came too late. Kiba covered his mouth in shock as Hinata buried her face in Shino's chest. Choji hung his head as Shikamaru covered his eyes, they all were frozen with shock. Iruka fell to his knees and sobbed while Gai placed a hand on his shoulder. All of the Konoha 11 were there too late. They stood 7 feet away and a wail of sorrow came from Hinata as she collapsed. Kiba and Shino went to her clutching her so tightly.

Sakura looked up to them all and kept crying, her teeth clenched. Sasuke didn't notice as he kept trying to wake his friend. "Naruto. Wake up, now. We're going home. Don't you want that.?"

Kakashi turned to Lee and Neji commanding them to get Tsunade faster then they could breathe. The two were gone. Ino want to help but she shook violently so she turned away letting tears fall. A sob echoed from Iruka, who was loosing his wits over this.

"Everyone's here Naruto..." Sasuke whispered. "They want to take us home. I want to go home. Wake up so we can, please...please...I'm sorry."

That's when his shoulders shook with tears falling like rain onto the boy's cheeks. This was Sasuke's fault. He was too petty to see true friendship to save him. It was too late. Though hope was fading with the rising sun, Sasuke kept talking. "Please...Let's go home. Please."

A wail came from Sakura as she lost strength and composer. The weak girl fell forward and sobbed into orange cloth that. Naruto wasn't going to wake up. She had no more strength. No more. No chance. He was gone.

"Sakura...don't do this. We still...there's a..." He couldn't get her to focus. The Uchiha turned his head to the group trying to find one composed but all were lost in the pain. The boy swung his head to Naruto and fisted the boy clothes. He shook and screamed "Wake up! Wake up, dobe! WAKE UP DAMMIT!"

He pounded the boy's chest. Every pain and emotion he had bottled up now was pouring to on this empty body. "Naruto..."

The group all began to whimper and Kakashi got down onto one knee and choked back the pain. He prayed to his fallen sensei, even though he realized the man would never hear it.What was taking Lee and Neji so long? The sun gave the sky crimson red and morning orange. Life awoken around them. But one being never stirred. Naruto just held his same smile to the ever blue sky.

"Naruto..." Sasuke thought about everything he ever needed to say, "You're like the brother I never had. You mean too much to leave like this. Please wake up...and...and we'll go home and have ramen...and...be a team again...Please, wake up. I want a second chance."

That smile burned Sasuke's soul and he scream to the Gods, the group, the world. "I want a second chance!!!" And it spread across the sky and to the village. Birds flew away in fear and Akamaru whimpered. But the smile remained. That smile that said goodbye. He had gone to a place where he was seen as the hero he always was, as the son he dreamt to be, to a world were no one hated him. Naruto would never feel pain again, but his friends would. And Sasuke would live every day begging for the blonde to come home. No, it didn't have to be this way.

A kunoichi kneeled next to Sasuke and pushed Sakura off, startling the girl. She placed her hands firmly over the hole in orange clothed chest and forced in chakra. Hinata would not let this boy go. Ino watched Hinata and stomped over kneeling beside Naruto's head putting her strength into the green chakra. Sakura swallowed and nodded to her friends returning to work. Sasuke swallowed but couldn't make all the pain stop. He ran a hand through the dirty blonde locks and repeated his words. "Wake up and come home."

Kakashi stood up, still shaking and moved by Sakura, there he placed a hand on Sakura's and gave chakra to her. Not today, Naruto would not die today. "Come on you pathetic Kyuubi. Save the boy. Save the Yourself."

Unable to sit sobbing anymore, Iruka stumbled over while wiping his tears away. He reached out and clutched Ino's hand, giving his chakra to the bright green. He lifted Naruto's head with his hand, his and Sasuke's giving comfort to the lost friend. The sensei leaned his face into Ino's shoulder and cried more. The blonde girl let one hand leave for a second to comfort him. They had to save him.

"Wake up and come home. Please come home." Sasuke continued watching those dead eyes waiting for them to come to life again. Green and blue chakra enveloped the boy's body in a swirl of power. He wouldn't let it end like this. He needed one more chance to save this friendship. "We're gonna go home as soon as you wake up so you better so it soon. Because I'm not leaving until you do so."

"Me neither." Choked Iruka. Ino nodded as well followed by Sakura who whimpered some through tears.

"N-Naruto-kun, please c-come home with us." Hinata begged as she kept focus on healing the hole.

"Let's go home together." Kakashi chimed in. The rest of the group surround the boy and each said how they wanted him to come home, even Shino said a few words. That smile on Naruto's face remained and his eyes still kept to the sky. All they wanted was for him to come home and be their happy guy. Please come home. Please be our hope.

"And everything will change. I'll never leave again. We'll be a team, a family. You can lean on me whenever you need to. We can go home now. I sorry. Wake up." More tears came from the raven haired boy as he waited for the blonde to brighten his eyes. Naruto could take 40 days as long as he came home to them again. Sasuke would live a life sinned , full of shame, but Naruto would be there again. Nothing mattered anymore but saving this friendship.

"Move back!" came an all knowing voice and Tsunade knelt next to Hinata. She placed her hands over all of them and the chakra glowed brighter then the morning sun. She looked to Naruto's eyes and tears came to her. He looked like Dan did. She then scanned to everyone who wouldn't let the shinobi go like this. She was more determined then ever. She was Hokage and refused to let this boy loose his dream. "We're all here Naruto...now wake up, damn you!"

"Naruto...I want to go home." Sasuke mumbled as he closed his eyes and prayed the boy would hear him. He never felt this way before. Once more, the memories of his childhood with the blonde filled his mind; the pier, the glances, the smiles. He remembered every time Naruto saved him. It was up to him and all of them to save this boy. "We only want you to come with us."

"I..I...want t-to go t-too..." Sasuke's eyes flashed open to see blue orbs watching him.

"Naruto!"

"C-can we go?" Naruto smiled.

"_There is no revenge so complete as forgiveness." _- **Josh Billings**

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**_!!!Comment, please.!!!_**

**A/N: I could've killed him but I just can't end stories that depressingly. I believe in hope.**


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